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Making Cus tmn Pin-woven details are easy to warp and quick to weave by Diane a garment to sew. To elaborate craft requiring lots of time, eqUipment, and experience, right? Actually, you don't need any of these things to produce intricate and durable handwoven fabrics already shaped to match individual garment pattern pieces. All it takes is a pattern shape you want to follow; some pins and a piece of cardboard or foamcore to pin into; some yarn, fabric strips, ribbons, or other fibers to accent or embellish your garment; and a big, blunt needle. These, plus a little knowhow, are all I used to make the fabric for the fronts of the ves t shown on the facing page. I'll go into the know-how in detail over the next few pages. The examples you'll see here are all variations on the simplest plain weave (the same thing you may have done to make pot holders as a child), and the process is so quick and easy to try that in a couple of hours you could explore dozens of your own variations, using materials you've probably got on hand. W Afte Eric櫕on 54 The basics of pin weaving do any kind of weaving, you need some way of holding lengths of yarn tau t and more or less parallel to each other, so that other yarns can be permanently woven through the first group, producing a stable fabric. The taut, parallel group is called the warp, and the crossing yarns are called the weft. Anything you use hold the warp in place so you can weave the weft through it can be considered a loom. One of the easiest-to-make and most versatile looms consists of nothing more than pins stuck in a firm, pinnable, lightweight board. You wind the warp around the pins. Because you can position each pin anywhere you want, it's easy to create precise and complex shapes for the warp, which then deter- to eaving your own fabric probably isn't even an option you consider when you're planning r all, weaving's an mine the shape of the finished weaving. 'fo weave the shape of a garment pattern piece, you simply trace it on to your board and pin along two edges, wrapping on the warp threads as you go. Once you have a warp established, you can weave on it in countless ways, from the most basic and regular plain weaves to completely free-form designs (which are almost as easy to do). Because a pinweave warp is entirely stationary, and all of it is visible before you start weaving, you can start anywhere on the warp, then stop and start again in another section, creating tapestry-weave effects (that's what I've done on the incomplete pinweave yoke on p. 56). You can even shift the weft yarns up and down along the warp, redesigning your pattern and fill- The process is so quick and easy that in a couple of hours you could explore dozens of your own variations. ing in open spaces, until the whole warp is woven and the design or pattern is exactly as you want it. You can combine many different types and weights of yarn in the weft, and weave all sorts of patterns. Let's start by picking an appropriate sewing-pattern piece to pin-weave. Pattern shapes for weaving Pattern details, such as yokes, cuffs, collars, lapels, pockets, and pocket flaps, are natural choices for pin-woven projects, because they're all usually simple shapes, easy to warp and quick to weave. But since a complex outline doesn't make weaving on the warp any more complicated, don't discount elaborate shapes. You can even include darts, woven without seam allowances since you can butt the edges together and whipstitch them closed without bulk. Any pattern pieces that will remain flat after being joined together (like the front and Fa bric SEE VIDEO TAKES PAGE 58 back of some yokes) could be connected before you trace them onto your board. You can spice up simple garments with appliquect pin-woven embellishment, or with pieced woven elements. Large pattern pieces-Weaving whole garment sections, like vest fronts, is entirely feasible, but you need to be more concerned with the drape of the fabric you're creating than when you're weaving details. Softer, lighter yarns woven loosely will drape better than tightly woven, thick yarns. Using fabric strips, as I did in the vest, is a good choice for garments because the strips will weave up quickly into a fabric not much stiffer than the original, even after they've been lightly interfaced. Striped and printed fabrics can be great fun to weave with because strips cut from them can be shifted side to side to line up their surface patterns, or to create new patterns. No matter where you put it, the woven piece will be a focal point of the garment, so spend some time visualizing how an accent will look in position. I find it helpful to hold up a plain-paper tracing of the piece I'm considering in the position it will have on my body to check whether it will look flattering and visually balanced. Seam allowances-Once you've selected a pattern piece to weave, make a copy of it, and redraw the seam allowances on the curved edges to % in. or less. This is important because you won't be able to clip those curves when you want to turn them, after sewing. Straight seam allowances can be left full (I usually weave them with a thin yarn to reduce bulk, as you can see in the photo above.) Reduce non-seam edge allowances to % in. for less bulk if you're lining. Or remove the allowance completely if you want to leave the woven piece unlined. Also remove the allowances inside any darts. Finally, mark any buttonholes or pocket openings you'll want on your board Thread櫕 M agaz櫕땣 e